Bill Shankly

An in-depth look at the iconic Scottish soccer player who led Liverpool Football Club to a slew of victories as both player and manager.

In the west of Scotland, nobody bothers to argue that football is a genuinely popular art form, the theatre of the people.

SHANKLY: NATURE'S FIRE explores the remarkable life and career of BILL SHANKLY, the legendary Liverpool Football Club manager who came to leave such a legacy in his adopted home city. The film is a nostalgic journey into the origins of the world's favourite game, and how legends are born and transcend generations. Perhaps no one before or since has personified the spirit of the working class culture that gave birth to the modern game. Shankly's passion for football was boundless to the point of obsession. This unique feature length documentary is an exploration of the determination and commitment to community that emerged from Britain's industrial heartlands and manifested itself in this unstoppable game: creating a love affair still etched in the hearts of the generations that followed.

Liverpool’s rise from obscurity to glory, devised in the fabled Anfield Boot Room, was built on a set of ideals familiar in Merseyside: collectivism, community and loyalty. For in many ways, the nondescript sanctum under the grandstand stairs where Bill Shankly and his backroom staff worked together to orchestrate the club’s resurgence epitomised the spirit of the city. It was Liverpool in microcosm. Astonishing archive footage and a reminder of Liverpool’s collectivist culture reveals how the revered Boot Room Boys brought a city back from the brink and ushered in an unprecedented era of dominance.

The definitive film portrait of Matt Busby, Bill Shankly, and Jock Stein. An incredible story of how three men born in the central lowlands of Scotland within 30 miles of each other, grew up to become lifelong friends and three of the most influential men in football history.

A tribute to Liverpool's manager Bill Shankly.

It's nearly every child's dream to be a professional footballer, but in reality the football apprentice's life is far from glamorous Scene follows two budding young footballers as they try to earn a professional contract with Liverpool Football club. Before they even kick a football, their duties include cleaning boots and preparing the dressing rooms and kits for the first team. When they do get to go onto the training pitch, they are worked intensively to build up their physical fitness and technical ability - Liverpool's notorious "sweat box" sees to that. After training, they must wash the baths and sweeping the floors. Over half of the apprentices will fail to make it as professionals. Liverpool's Youth Development Officer Tom Saunders and Manager Bill Shankly share their views on what it takes to succeed in the game.